How Do You Feel About the Holidays?
Some of us love the holidays, some of us hate them, most of us experience some stress at some point!
What can you do about it?
Lots. I promise.
1. Give yourself a Christmas Pass (or whatever holiday you celebrate!)
That means cut yourself some slack! If you feel overwhelmed, what can you take off your schedule? Do you really need to go to every event? Can you suggest to your equally overwrought friends that you get together in January? Can you dispense with some holiday decorating?** Can you check with your family about which traditions are REALLY important to them and dispense with some that are not as special?
The key is to try and spend your time doing the things that you and your family really love and that make you feel good!
**I’m a real last minute person and haven’t finished my shopping or decorating yet. For those of you organised and prepared souls out there, this suggestion might not be so helpful!
2. Keep moving.
It’s so easy to sink into the sofa in the few minutes you have to take a break from all the social whirl. There is a better way…
- Go for a walk and look at the lights in your neighbourhood.
- Arrange to meet friends for a skating party rather than a sitting down event.
- Stick to your regular movement routines as much as you can.
- Your Pilates, Nutritious Movement or yoga class is probably running for most of the holiday.
- Not the case? There are lots of online options!
- Try our RE-Think Your Core video and keep yourself on track.
3. Keep drinking.
No, sorry, that isn’t a recommendation for a steady diet of egg nog!
Drink lots of water. Intersperse water and alcohol while at parties and start your day with warm water and lemon. Staying hydrated keeps your energy up and lets you enjoy your holiday!
4. Keep eating.
And, again, sorry, this isn’t as much fun as it sounds.
There is a real tendency to get off schedule with our food at this time of year. You get busy, you forget lunch. You get to a party, you inhale the snacks because you are STARVING! You end up eating all the dinner food too because, well, it’s yummy and you don’t want to be rude! The result is a couple of weeks of yo-yoing blood sugar levels and that makes a person just a touch crabby. Also inclined to make lousy food choices…
Maintaining a regular eating schedule will make it easier to turn down the treats you don’t need and to enjoy the ones you make a conscious decision to consume.
5. Keep the door closed.
Give yourself permission to have some down time.
That looks different for everyone, and some people love the opportunity to party every day and visit with friends and family for an uninterrupted stretch. My family is full of introverts, and we have learned that we all enjoy the holidays way more when we block out some empty space in the calendar. Everyone gets to spend some time alone and recharge their social batteries. Then we can go back out and have fun instead of ending the day tired and frazzled.
6. Keep giving.
We are lucky enough to live in a safe place, with food, water and opportunities galore. We make sure to give back, and that seems especially important at this time of year. Commercialism is a big thing at this time, and giving back can help you feel more festive. Boomerang will be a hub for donations of new hats, mitts and socks this winter. Everything we collect will be donated through the outreach program here at the church.
Here’s to you and yours from all of us Boomerang, wishing you a stress-less holiday!
Xo
Alison
I’m the owner of Boomerang Pilates and creator of the Move SMART program. I’m a Pilates teacher and therapeutic movement coach. I specialize in helping women with osteoporosis learn how to move their body without fear so they can feel confident, strong and flexible.
